On 17 Apr 2003 08:43:32 -0700, ecmcdougall@iname.com (ECM) wrote:

>d_ruether@hotmail.com (Neuman - Ruether) wrote in message news:

<3e9d5de4.1574628@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu>...

>> The TRV19 and 22 have the same CCD and lens (and probably

>> audio) as the TRV11/17/18-PC9 - in other words, this level

>> of performance has been around for quite a while. As others

>> go to higher pixel-counts and smaller CCDs, their low-light

>> ranges reduced, leaving the unremarkable bottom-end Sonys

>> relatively good (with their more sensitive "HAD" 1/4"

>> relatively-low pixel-count CCDs). They are also "pleasant"

>> cameras, with no outstanding bad characteristics (unlike

>> many others), making them good "snapshooters", though

>> their low-light range is not outstanding compared with good

>> 3-chippers. (For a comparison with other CCD types in

>> different lighting conditions, see:

>> www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder--comparison.htm.)

>> David Ruether

>I've seens some discussions about 3-CCD cameras, some posters seemed

>to suggest that the "prism system" that splits the light into 3

>different colors in these cameras may reduce light sensitivity,

>though. I've had no experience with these cameras - do you think this

>is true?

It is true that by splitting the light to direct it to

three different locations that the light level is reduced

for each CCD, but the three-CCD images are added together

again to make one image... Whatever the process or reasons,

one *can* observe that most 3-CCD Mini-DV camcorders are

considerably more sensitive than most 1-CCD Mini-DV

camcorders. The only good example of an exception I've

seen: I owned the 1-CCD Sony VX700 and the 3-CCD VX1000

at the same time, and their sensitivities were fairly

close...

>The new Panasonic PV-DV70 is a 3-CCD camera (3 X 480K, 1/6" CCDs), and

>is priced at the prosumer level - it can be found for about $1000-1200

>on the web. Have you seen or tried this one? If I stretch a bit I

>might be able to afford it.... those are mighty tiny CCDs, though....

These 3-CCD Panasonics have VERY limited low-light range

(even the 1/4" CCDs of the EZ30U/950 Panasonics provided

very limited range). The only Panasonic 3-CCD model with

good low-light range is the DVX100. You may find this

site useful for comparing frame grabs in different light

levels from various models interesting:

http://www4.big.or.jp/~a_haru/index.html (the frame-grabs

mostly have the US model names...). I did not see much I

liked for any reason in the Panasonic group, though I

like the Panasonic DVX100 about as much as the Sony

VX2000 in 3-chippers (but this camera is very different

from the small 3-chip Panasonics...). BTW, the older

EZ30U (I still like this one in some ways...) is

compared with other cameras at

www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.htm

and www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/sony_dcr-vx2000.htm.